Earth working tools, such as sod-busters and banding applicator tools, are generally attached directly to the shank of a cultivator by a stem portion secured by bolts. Problems occur with this type of securing method when, for example, the tool must be replaced due to excessive wear or damage, or the tool becomes clogged with soil or debris. Generally, considerable time is required to replace the tool or to remove clogs.
Many cultivator shanks are on 12 inch pitch and therefore apply seed and/or fertilizer in rows 12 inches apart. There are several situations, however, where it is desirable to apply seeds, for example, in rows less than twelve inches apart. It is also often time-consuming and cumbersome to clean or replace existing arrangements of earth working/applicator blades on cultivator equipment. And, where rigid (or even spring loaded pivot) blade/tool mounts are involved, turning the cultivator around (i.e. at the end of a field in preparation for a return pass in the other direction or as in contour farming) typically causes reverse relative tool motion near to or even through the ground (i.e. on the "inside" of the turn) and thus risks clogging with soil any trailing open applicator ports.
Some typical (but not exhaustive) examples of prior seeding/fertilizing tools can be found in:
Canadian Pat. No. 1,174,907--Kopecky (1984) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,652--Brunner (1939) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,788--Van Dorn (1959) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,587--Shriver (1960) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,111--Taylor, Sr. (1964) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,140--Anderson (1978) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,364--Hassenfritz (1984) PA0 Canadian Pat. No. 496,012--Hannibal (1953) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 1,020,017--Williams (1977) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 1,110,500--Stump (1981) PA0 U S. Pat. No. 1,129,256--Raubenheimer (1982) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 1,172,107--Rasprick (1984) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,989--Johnston (1965) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,087--Horton (1966) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,166--Woodley (1971) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,951--Williams (1975) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,271--Williams et al (1977) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,181--Smith et al (1979) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,142--Stump (1980) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,104--Steilen et al (1982) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,589--Wetmore (1982)
Double banded seeders, per se are also known as, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,760 --Peacock (1944).
There are, of course, also many prior fertilizing tools, some examples of which may be found in:
While some of these prior arrangements have provided for double-banded seeding and independent simultaneous fertilizer applications (e.g. see Kopecky), none are believed to have yet provided an optimum solution to the problems at hand. However, I have now discovered an improved assembly which may simultaneously provide the following features:
(a) seed and fertilizer can be applied simultaneously;
(b) the amount of applied seed and fertilizer can be controlled independently;
(c) separate one-way free pivot mounts are provided for the fertilizer and seeding blades, respectively so as to (i) minimize soil clogging during turns, (ii) permit easy access for cleaning the outlet ports, and (iii) permit convenient blade replacement; and
(d) double banded seeding can be realized (e.g. so as to seed rows with 6 inch pitch even though the cultivator mounting shanks are at 12 inch pitch).